VZCZCXRO2181
PP RUEHGR
DE RUEHGE #0693 3442012
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 092012Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6870
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000693 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/CAR FOR JROSHOLT, WHA/PPC FOR SMILLER, G/TIP FOR 
SKRONENBURG AND BFLECK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP KCRM KWMN PGOV PHUM SMIG GY
SUBJECT: TIP: GUYANA 2008 INTERIM ASSESSMENT 
 
REF: STATE 111306 
 
¶1. (U) This is a response to reftel about progress made by 
the Government of Guyana (GoG) in addressing Trafficking in 
Persons issues. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In 2008, The GoG continued its prosecution of a 
woman arrested in October 2006 in the town of Bartica, in 
which two teenage girls were allegedly trafficked for the 
purposes of sexual exploitation. In a separate case in 
January, the GoG worked with Trinidadian authorities to 
repatriate a Guyanese woman who had been held against her 
will after answering an employment advertisement in Trinidad 
and Tobago; the woman is now safely back in Guyana, and has 
been provided government assistance with her reintegration. 
In October, a local judge dismissed charges filed against a 
woman for a 2006 case in which she allegedly trafficked a 12 
year-old girl; the judge cited a lack of evidence. 
 
¶3. (U) In order to extend awareness of what constitutes TIP 
and to augment its sources of information regarding potential 
TIP cases, the GoG's National Task Force for Combating 
Trafficking in Persons has continued to conduct sensitization 
exercises in communities around the country, and has set up 
"Community Focal Points" in these areas. The individuals 
serving as focal points include mayors/municipal officials, 
school authorities, religious leaders, and other persons who 
have high visibility and engender local trust, and who also 
have a breadth of knowledge regarding activities and 
individuals in their respective communities. These persons, 
in turn, can play a role in referring possible TIP cases, 
assisting with TIP investigations, and further raising public 
awareness in areas where stakeholder ministries do not 
otherwise have a regular presence. 
 
¶4. (SBU) As part of its biannual continuing 
education/professional development seminars for senior and 
mid-level officers of its Criminal Investigations Division, 
the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has instituted a full-day 
training session on Trafficking in Persons for all seminar 
participants. Additionally, the GoG has signaled interest in 
coordinating with the USG on possible prosecutor and judicial 
training regarding TIP issues, which could be provided by the 
Department of Justice Office of Overseas Prosecutorial 
Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT). 
 
¶5. (SBU) In 2008, the GPF has conducted raids on various 
establishments, including brothels and shops thought to 
potentially harbor trafficking victims. Most workers 
interviewed confirmed they were working in their job 
willingly and for compensation, however, several workers did 
allege they were victims of trafficking. These individuals 
were subsequently removed from the location and provided 
shelter. Some departed the shelters of their own volition 
without providing formal statements to the police, while in 
other cases further investigation indicated there had been no 
trafficking violation. 
 
¶6. (U) The GoG has continued to provide funding to a local 
NGO to house TIP victims, although few such victims have come 
forward or been referred for services in the last few years. 
This NGO and one other also serve on the National Task Force 
for Combating Trafficking in Persons. 
 
Jones